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Ultrasaur Blog
Keeping track of exciting new threats to your digital records.
Archive for the ‘legal’ Category
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
Here’s an interesting angle that we’ve been following for a while, do criminal defendants have a right to
read the source code of devices used against them?
defense attorneys have argued that if they can’t examine the source code, the computer program that runs the machine, they have no way to tell if the Intoxilyzer is reliable. District judges across Minnesota have handled defense requests for the source code with a patchwork of rulings: Some say a defendant has a right to examine it; others say it isn’t relevant.
Tags: legal, source code, stub
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Monday, April 27th, 2009
The acquisition of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America was a deal worth many tens of billions of dollars, and yet the documents concerning the deal are still being disputed by both parties, Thain Fires Back at Bank of America - WSJ.com:
But Mr. Thain says that he and Bank of America Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis agreed in writing that the bonuses could be paid before Bank of America’s acquisition of Merrill closed…
Bank of America has painted a different picture than Mr. Thain’s
Tags: stub
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Wednesday, April 8th, 2009
Graphic Designer:
“If I’d thought about this possibility then it would be a lot easier to build my case.”
The story so far: Stockart.com claims that Jon Engle owes them $18 000 for using its designs. Engle claims that the designs are his and were uploaded to Sotckart.com behind his back under the names of about a dozen different artists.
Public opinion generally backs Engle, the truth may be more complicated, but a clear trend is that it’s very hard to prove you built something before they did.
Side note: Our community edition solves this, are you interested in beta testing? email: info@ultrasaur.us
Tags: ownership dispute, shameless plugs
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Wednesday, April 8th, 2009
Wow:
A European Union directive, which Britain was instrumental in devising, comes into force which will require all internet service providers to retain information on email traffic, visits to web sites and telephone calls made over the internet, for 12 months.
Hundreds of public bodies … will also be able to access the data to investigate flytipping and other less serious crimes.
… a Home Office spokesman has confirmed it will be applied “across the board” to even the smallest company
Besides the opportunity for abuses, collecting these records and keeping them safe is a large new burden that will likely fall hardest on the smallest companies. Apparently “Sweden has decided to ignore the directive completely while there is a challenge going through the German courts at present.”
Thanks: The Agitator
Tags: eu, legal
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Monday, April 6th, 2009
Here’s one I hadn’t thought of:
Although we have been married for four years now, the American Immigration services can’t find any paper trail for the two of us.
The comments hit on my thinking: “Let’s hope they acknowledge the validity of digital photos.” Despite being a lightweight “internet couple”, they must have hundreds of emails and digital photos.
We’re hoping to have a “Community edition” available this year that would address this problem. And then we’ll be in the position to “write to your national authorities” for you.
Tags: funny, government, misc, records
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Saturday, April 4th, 2009
This is somewhat breaking news, but apparently the FBI has seized the servers of 50 companies because they were hosted in the same building as a company suspected of leaking an unreleased movie.
“[Owner of Core IP Networks, Matthew] Simpson claims nearly 50 businesses are without access to their email and data. Some of those clients provide internet services to car dealers and other companies.”
It appears that primarily web sites and email were affected this time, but it might be setting a dangerous precedent from our perspective: If you keep backups of your records offsite, the FBI may take them at any time if they think some entity also using that site is involved with movie piracy.
Aside: Remember our pitch, we never make copies of your records, if the FBI takes our servers all they can do is verify your files if you give them to them.
Update from CBS 11 News in Dallas:
CBS 11 News has uncovered new information about FBI raids against Dallas companies that provide web servers for dozens of businesses in North Texas and across the country.
Court documents show it’s all part of an alleged massive fraud scheme against AT&T and Verizon.
Court records show Verizon first went to the FBI this past January, alleging some North Texas web server providers were cheating them and AT&T out of millions of dollars.
Tags: crime, forensics, fraud, police
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Thursday, March 26th, 2009
Here’s an interesting claim:
A quarter of all major public sector databases [in the UK] are fundamentally flawed and almost certainly illegal.
The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust (JRRT) said a review of 42 major state databases had only found six which were acceptable in terms of their impact on individuals’ privacy. -Reuters
The UK’s over-emphasis on surveillance is common knowledge, but it’s important to realize that data is easy — maybe too easy to generate and that there are laws squeezing your records from the top and the bottom.
Tags: databases, privacy, uk
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Thursday, March 5th, 2009
IT Worker Indicted For Setting Malware Bomb At Fannie Mae: “a malicious script buried in a legitimate script”…. “Industry experts warn that such exploits may become more common”.
We’ll be making our beta public as soon as possible.
Tags: crime, hacking, stub
Posted in legal, record falsification | No Comments »
Thursday, March 5th, 2009
Australian police now have the ability to “hack into [a suspect's] computers for up to three years without their knowledge.”
Australian legal processes are not my forte, but if this trend continues, that’s one more risk going on with your network: even if their intent is only to read the files accidental changes can happen — especially since hacking attempts are almost by definition a violation of your system’s integrity.
The law apparently applies to “offences punishable by at least seven years’ jail, including … money laundering, hacking, organised theft and corruption.” Setting you up for the possible double whammy of having your records hacked and used against you, but the records you use in your defense being called into question since your system was hacked.
Tags: australia, hacking
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Friday, February 27th, 2009
Our business plan depends in part on the theory that regulations only increase, never decrease. So I’m conflicted when I read:
mule skinners — in this case, seasonal workers who dress in colonial garb at a historical park in Easton, Pa. [and pull a boat by mule at 2 miles per hour]– must apply for biometric Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC), according to the Transportation Security Administration, which says it is bound by federal law
This is on top of
Park officials say four or five park employees typically have Coast Guard credentials to operate the canal boat, and the extra expense of a TWIC card, which is at least an extra $100 on top of fees for Coast Guard credentials, is unwelcome.
Tags: misc
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